Embodied Ojas Retreat
Yoga & Ayurveda Rituals for Rejuvenation
Joshua Tre, California
Journey to Joshua Tree, California for a 4-day immersion into the ancient practices of Ayurveda and Yoga. Set on a private desert oasis beneath wide-open skies and surrounded by ancient Joshua trees, we will reconnect to nature and explore the foundations of a 5,000-year-old science of self-healing, longevity and renewal. “Ojas” is the Sanskrit word for the subtle essence that bolsters immunity, vitality and resilience. Through holistic health practices we will explore ways to cultivate Ojas. Enjoy embodiment practices of yoga to deepen connection with self. Discover daily rituals to align with energetics of the season and support self-care. Learn how to infuse your meals with Ayurvedic principles and presence using spices and culinary herbs to maximize digestion. Drop into communal connection and slow living. This is for rejuvenation, renewal and inspired learning.
4 Days + 3 nights
December 3-6, 2026
Early bird pricing - $100 off when you book with the code RENEW by 9/30
AYURVEDA: NATURE’S WISDOM FOR HEALING & LONGEVITY
Discover the foundational elements of Ayurveda so we can best know ourselves, our dosha’s {mind-body constitutions}, and the rituals we need to create an individualized self-care routine.
Ayurveda is a traditional healing system and science from India dating back at least 5,000 years. This living body of wisdom uses many different modalities for healing, including using food as medicine, lifestyle changes, herbal remedies, bodywork and extensive detoxification practices. In India, Ayurveda is still practiced as a complete medical system with its own hospitals, treatment centers, and pharmacies that dispense herbal medicine. Here in the United States, Ayurveda is better known for its emphasis on preventative health, promoting a holistic lifestyle, and being a sister science to Yoga. Ayurveda’s emphasis on cultivating a balanced state for mind, body and spirit through diet and lifestyle changes makes it an accessible science for anyone wanting to improve their life. Ayurveda’s emphasis on holistic nutrition teaches us to use food as medicine—eating correctly for our dosha and for the season at hand. Ayurveda believes that agni, or the digestive fire, is the foundation for the health of our entire mind and body.
Somatic Yoga & ELEMENT-INSPIRED MOVEMENT
Explore embodied connection through daily asana yoga practices infused with seasonal Ayurvedic wisdom.
Each class is guided with mindfulness, somatic inquiry, alignment foundation, and Ayurvedic principles to integrate body, mind and heart. Morning Asana is inspired by solar energy, a mindful Vinyasa class unfolding consciousness through the dance of breath with movement. In the afternoon, we wind down the day with a lunar-inspired practice such as Restorative, Aromatherapy Grounding Flow, or Yoga Nidra. One can expect meditation, pranayama, breath awareness, mudra and mantra.
Whether a seasoned practitioner or new yogi, instruction and variations are offered for each individual to explore one’s potential.
Joshua Tree: In the heart of desert stillness
Joshua Tree sits at the meeting point of the Mojave and Colorado deserts in Southern California, just minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. It's a high desert landscape of ancient Joshua trees, sculpted granite boulders and wide-open horizons that has mystics and seekers for generations.
The desert holds the essence of Air & Ether elements: the energy of expansive being, creative power, attunement to she subtle and connection to the cosmos. It is a place of resilience and wonder.
As we near the Winter Solstice, we chose to meet in the desert to draw lessons from its stillness and ever-widening perspective.
Nourishing Ayurvedic Meals
Ayurveda’s emphasis on holistic nutrition teaches us to use food as medicine—eating correctly for our dosha and for the season at hand. Ayurveda believes that agni, or the digestive fire, is the foundation for the health of our entire mind and body. Current research on the microbiome continues to prove the importance of the gut-brain connection and to demonstrate the link between healthy digestion and the functioning of many other systems in the body.
In this retreat, we will learn to cook seasonal appropriate meals that offer variations for each dosha. All of the food prepared will be organic, seasonal and local where possible. We can support any dietary accommodations, please just let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly.
The ACCOMMODATION
Our desert sanctuary is a private compound of three homes spread across five secluded acres, just ten minutes from Joshua Tree National Park. A few perks include:
Open-air yoga deck
Soak in the hot tub or private cow boy pool
Unwind in the 8-person sauna
Refresh in the dual cold plunges
Gather each evening around the 25-foot fire pit under some of the darkest skies in California.
Our retreat space is spacious, private and built for exactly this kind of gathering. We offer tiered pricing with various accommodation types across the compound's three homes.
Space is limited 16 participants.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Welcome Circle Ritual
Daily Ayurvedic yoga for grounding, stability & ease
2 Ayurvedic Cooking Lessons
2 Ayurvedic Wellness Workshops focused on vitality, longevity and ‘svastha’ or health
8 Nourishing Ayurvedic Meals
Sound Bath Meditation & Nidra
3 Nights Accommodation with Sauna, Hot Tub and Cold Plunge
Rest & Renewal in Nature
Yoga Alliance CE offered.
Sample Schedule
7:00 AM Coffee, Chicory Tea, Warm Lemon Water
8:00 - 9:30 AM Elemental Asana, Pranayama & Meditation
9:30 - 10:30 AM Nourishing Breakfast & Free Time
10:30 - 12:00 PM Ayurvedic Workshop
12:00 - 1:30 PM Collective Cooking Lessons
1:30 - 2:30 PM Nourishing Lunch & Free Time
3:00 - 6:00 PM Free time & Rest; Optional Joshua Tree hike
4:30 - 6:00 PM Optional Collective Cooking Lesson for Dinner
6:00 PM Nourishing Dinner, Free Time, Relaxation & Rest
7:00 - 8:00 PM Meditation / Nidra / Sound Bath
Check-in: 3:00 PM Thursday // Checkout 11:00 AM Sunday
All Inclusive PRICING
We offer tiered pricing for accommodation to meet your specific needs. A $500 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot. This is an intimate gathering & space is limited.
Early bird pricing take $100 off with the code RENEW when you book by Sept 30
Queen Bed in Shared Room $1600
Shared King Bed in Private Room - $1500
Solo King Bed in Private Room $1950
Shared Master King with Private Bath - $1550
Solo Master King with Private Bath - $2250
Camping Spot - $1150
Space is limited.
Cost includes all wellness workshop materials, organic meals, accommodation, and activities. Transportation to and from retreat location is not included. Deposit is non-refundable as stated in Booking Terms & Conditions here.
About your facilitators
Gaby Colleta
Somatic Therapist, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Yoga & Meditation Teacher, AMFT, AHC, E-RYT, YACEP
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Gaby is a Yoga & Meditaiton Instructor and Ayurvedic Health Counselor with over 14 years of practice in integrative wellness. She facilitates transformational nature-based retreats, guides mind-body courses, leads teacher trainings and coaches individuals on how to create an ecosystem of internal resources that bring forth one’s greater potential. Her teachings weave together the Ancient wisdom traditions of Tantra and Buddhism with modern-day neuroscience and somatic psychology. Reverence for nature and ritual, embodied presence and deep intention are at the heart of her practices.
Gaby holds a Masters in Integral Counseling Psychology from CIIS. She is on the faculty of the Lakshmi Rising School for Yoga & Wellness. She is also founder of her somatic coaching business called Well of Being Counseling.
Anjali Deva
Ayurvedic Practitioner, Educator & Author, CAP
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Anjali Deva is an Ayurvedic practitioner and educator. Her private practice, Rooted Rasa, specializes in an integrative and trauma-informed approach to Ayurveda. Anjali founded Mādhya Way, a school for Ayurveda. Her compassion-based approach is useful in alleviating anxiety, depression, PTSD, digestive disorders, and women’s health issues with a holistic framework. Anjali has been greatly fortunate to have been introduced to Ayurveda and Yoga at a young age by her father and mentor, Arun Deva. Her clinical experience began at Hope Integrative Psychiatry overseen by Omid Naim, MD. Her familial lineage is rich with the desire to preserve and maintain these healing arts. Driven by her aspiration to better understand the connection between food and mood, she has trained with Kerala Ayurveda Academy, Loyola Marymount’s Yoga and the Healing Sciences Program, and with various teachers both in the United States and India. Her strong passion for digestion and mental health provides others with a holistic approach to finding their inner harmony and resilience for healing. Anjali is dedicated to sharing the Wisdom of Ayurveda for the benefit of all living beings.
Learn more at rootedrasa.com and follow her on IG: @anjalidevaayurveda
Retreat Testimonials
FAQS
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You can find our full booking terms & conditions here. Should you need to cancel your trip, please notify Gaby Colletta or Anjali Deva via email. We will cancel your booking via WeTravel and you will receive a notification from the booking platform. Kindly note the following:
The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is canceled.
The rest of the payment must be paid 60 days before arrival.
If you cancel more than 60 days before the retreat start date and you have paid the full booking amount in addition to the deposit, you may request a partial 50% refund. The deposit is non-refundable.
All retreat payments become non-refundable less than 60 days before the retreat start date. If you have paid the balance in full less that 60 days before the retreat start date, you will not be granted a refund.
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Joshua Tree is located in the high desert of San Bernardino County, about two-and-a-half hours east of Los Angeles and just under an hour from Palm Springs.
Driving: Most guests arrive via I-10 East to Highway 62 (the Twentynine Palms Highway), which runs straight through the town of Joshua Tree. The drive is flat, easy and scenic, with the landscape shifting from palm groves to open desert as you approach. Our compound sits on five private acres just minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
Flying: If you are traveling from outside of California, we recommend flying into Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), about an hour's drive away. Ontario (ONT) and Los Angeles (LAX) are also options if you don't mind a longer drive, roughly 2–2.5 hours.